BUSINESSES, like individuals, hit crossroads in their lives, which accounts for the name of a new management training and business coaching company set up in Shoebury.

Chris Bradford, founder of Crossroads Change Management, claims a special skill that, he believes, borders on the gifted.

It involves turning companies round, getting them out of holes, and coaxing them into new areas of growth.

Above Chris's desk, he keeps a message, summing up what he is about. The message reads: "Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm."

In the past, it's often been when the sea has become rough that Chris has been called in.

Chris has taken to heart one statistic in particular.

"The average life of companies is just 12 years," he said. "Firms are content to survive doing what they've always done, and then they hit a downturn or a problem and don't know how to handle it."

The good news, according to Chris, is that most companies contain strengths which can be unlocked, and can be the saving of them.

"But companies have to be aware of the dynamics which can make them competitive," he said.

Much of Chris's work is technical, but the motivation is personal. "Business ruins too many people's lives," he said.

"I've seen too many people racked with worry. But it doesn't have to be that way. I know I have an ability to go into a company and see the bigger picture. I can see where the weaknesses and problems are in a company, but I can also see the opportunities."

One major key to business rehabilitation, according to Chris, is the business plan. This accounts for another of his framed mottos: "Plan it right and make it happen."

Martial arts are another source of inspiration. Chris gained his black belt in both karate and judo almost 25 years ago. "Martial arts, like business, is obviously something that you can't just learn from textbooks," he said.

"You have to get out into the arena, and then you find that the blows don't always land where the book says they're going to land."